– MARK HOMINICK RETURNS TO FORM IN TKO

by Mick Hammond – MMAWeekly.com
Heading into last month’s TKO event, Mark Hominick was admittedly in a slump. Having suffered two defeats in a row for the first time in nearly four years, Hominick was in desperate need of a victory in remain a contender in the exponentially growing 145-pound division.

Facing off against the hot-streaking Ben Greer, Hominick reverted back the aggressive form that marked his early years in the sport, attacking Greer from the outset, flooring him with a vicious right hook, ending the fight just over a minute in.

“I wanted to go in there and make a statement,” exclaimed Hominick. “I wanted to prove that I’m a contender in this division.

“That’s what I did in this fight. I went in very aggressive, and I wanted to finish in the first round.”

Heading into the fight, Greer had been on an impressive winning streak, perhaps leading some to believe that Hominick would be wary of his opposition, but as he explained, Greer’s accomplishments didn’t faze him in the least.

“He was on a nine-fight winning streak, but he was stepping up in competition,” commented the Canadian. “So I wanted to dictate the pace of the fight and show him that he wasn’t going to walk through me, like he thought he was going to.

“He wasn’t going to use me as a stepping stone, and I really, really wanted to prove that.”

Those in attendance at the show saw that Hominick meant business as soon as he stepped in the cage, looking to many like a predatory animal ready to strike, which was no coincidence considering his game plan heading into the match.

“I always come into fights in good shape and prepared, but sometimes I go in there – like in my last couple fights specifically – too concerned with what my opponent was going to do, as opposed to what I was going to do,” said Hominick. “So, this fight I wanted to go in and show what I had.

“Any time in combat sports, it seems like you’re only as good as your last fight, so I just, you know, losing three in a row would have been devastating. I knew I had to go in there and get an impressive win to get back into the big show – that was my focus going into the fight.”

Erasing earlier bad performances this year against Hatsu Hioki in TKO and Rani Yahya in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Hominick’s win over Greer sets the stage for the coming months that could determine his title hopes.

“I’m going to be fighting in TKO on Dec. 14, (then in) the New Year it looks like in February, I’ll be back in the WEC and I’m just thrilled,” commented Hominick.

“I kind of came in there with a couple of UFC wins and somewhat of a name, but now I have to go in there and prove I’m a contender; just work hard and climb up from the bottom again.”

Currently the WEC is thee place for the 145-pound division in North American MMA. It’s stacked with some of the premier talent in the weight class, and Hominick feels he belongs there with the best of them.

“There’s some top guys like Urijah (Faber, WEC 145-pound Champion), Jeff (Curran), Jens (Pulver) and Cub Swanson in the WEC,” said Hominick. “I’d say those are the top names in the division and I think I belong with those names.”

One fight in particular could prove very entertaining considering the similar penchants for standing and trading that Hominick shares with one of the names on the list.

“I’d definitely love to fight Jens,” exclaimed Hominick. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and I think that’s a great match-up.

“It’s a great fight for the fans and the WEC would just love to put it together. So I’m just waiting to hear if he’d like that fight as well.”

In the larger picture though, Hominick’s eye is firmly affixed on WEC gold.

“At this point next year, I would like to be fighting Urijah or whoever has the title. It’s definitely a one-year plan; just take it there step-by-step, fight-by-fight and just prove myself (worthy of a title shot).”

If Hominick fulfills the promise he’s showed in earlier years, 2008 could very well be a prosperous year for him and an entertaining one for his fans.

“We’ve had a lot of help now lately with MCFC Fight Management, all the Team Tompkins guys have signed on with them and they’ve been a tremendous help,” concluded Hominick.

“Thanks for the continued support from the fans. Like always, every time I step into the ring I want to bring excitement, bring a knockout, and that’s what I plan to do.”